Amsterdam

How to spring break

Spring break in Amsterdam was very relaxing. The first day we rented bikes and saw some amazing modern architecture. After that we spent most of the time roaming around the city to explore. We climbed to the top of Nemo, a building by Renzo Piano, and also took a night time canal cruise through the city. Amsterdam was very beautiful an lively. The city is a lot more modern than any of the cities we have seen so far, but it was very interesting to visit. I had a lot of fun while in Amsterdam and it was also great to catch up with my friends who are staying in Barcelona for the semester.

Istanbul

Emily and I in Hagia Sophia

What we studied

While in Istanbul, we visited a lot of mosques and spent a lot of time in the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market. I was looking forward to seeing Hagia Sophia the most, because it is one we have studied often in our classes. It was the first on our schedule of the many mosques to see when we arrived. We studied a lot of forms for the mosques, but what stood out the most was the transformations of the mosques. Specifically in the Hagia Sophia, it was most impressive to see how it transformed from a Christian icon, into an Islamic one. I saw a quote that reminded me most of these transformations in the hotel, "Istanbul, the place where the history of three empires were written. This magical city was created like a jewel in the hands of history."

view of the Blue Mosque from our hotel

Turkish man who sold me a scarf in the Bazaar

Shop in bazaar that I got tiles from

How we interacted

Although none of us knew any Turkish before arriving in Turkey, it was really easy to communicate and interact the people. Many of them knew English very well, especially in the markets or in the restaurants. In Rome, many people speak English, however they are not always happy to. In Istanbul, everyone was happy to speak to us which made interacting much easier and much more fun. We had someone to show us all around the Bazaar and to take us to the best shops. It was very interesting to spend time in the Bazaar and even seeing more than just shops, like the Hans, which is where the merchants used to stay. Learning more about their history was one of my favorite parts about the trip. I know I want to go back to learn and see more. It is a lot like Rome, with many layers to discover.

milan and lake como for the weekend

view of the lake

palazzo terragni

looking out over the lake

roof of the duomo in milan

pantheon with the sun shining in



illegal photo of the sistine chapel. (and lisa's nose)



staircase in the vatican



foto

 

 

 

 more pictures from our northern italy trip!

Northern Italy

How we traveled

Eight days
Seven early breakfasts
Six hours on a train
Five cities
Four hotels
Three family dinners
Two rooftop adventures
One word: cold

It was a very busy eight days, training from city to city. Carrying around the thickest sweaters to every city was not ideal, however necessary. We spent every morning either outside sketching, or sketching in cold churches. It was all worth it though.





When we studied



One of the best parts of this whole experience has been being able to study, in person, all the buildings we have learned about in class. You can see a picture of all these wonderful buildings and understand it. But then you can sit in front of Villa Rotunda, a building designed by Palladio in the 1500's and sketch how you see it. I am learning so much through studying and sketching these buildings. I am also gaining confidence in my drawings.

Where we explored
 
We started in Firenze, then traveled to Venezia, Verona, Vicenza, and Milan. This is a panoramic view taken from Piazza Michelangelo in Firenze.




Why we were lost
 
Venice was by far the most interesting city we saw. There were no cars, only boats. While it was one of the most interesting, it was the most difficult to navigate. The entire city was a maze of little streets, some just wide enough for two people to fit through. 



What we discovered


All of the cities we visited were beautiful. But there was always a constant comparison to Rome. The best part, for me, was how excited we all were to get back to Rome and our classes. Its amazing how easy it was to adjust to this new city. And how easy it is to call it home.

Barcelona!